“Feudalism, serfdom, slavery, all tyrannical institutions, are merely the most vigorous kind to rule, springing out of, and necessarily to, a bad state of man. The progress from these is the same in all cases -- less government.”

Less government is not the answer, less POWER to the government no matter what its size is what is needed.

The size and scope of government equates to power, and power equates to growth in its size and scope. The less government the better. Let us each take on the burden of governing ourselves.

It goes wothout saying but it still deserves five stars. "you may say I'm a dreamer" over seven million have already vied this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okd3hLlvvLw Please pass on

Imagine if the Progressives believed 'progress is less government'!

I dream too: http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ckank/FultonsLair/013/nock/criminality.html

Archer, well done! that's exactly what they believe. They believe in government reform, civil liberties, natural rights, an educational system built on understanding and not just knowledge. In the early part of the century they were against child labor, better working conditions for women, and regulating tenement housing. "The Criminality of the State" is exactly what American could be charge with today there is very little difference.

Really, RBE? ;-) Pick a bill the progressives have put forth lately with the word 'reform' in it and tell me how it reduces the size of government or even reduces or eliminates government intrusion into the private lives of the people? Indeed, progressives do believe in civil liberties (i.e. rights/privileges granted by the State, like licenses and such) but do not really believe in natural rights i.e. inalienable rights. In fact, any natural order is trumped by progressive legislation for 'regulation.' When you speak of an "educational system built upon understanding and not just knowledge" I laugh. How about an education based on fact? Sounds more like you want the schools to be the 'handlers' of the children so that they will 'understand' -- did you go to Catholic school? That's what THEY do... How about some g-d truth! Progressives like to think that the liberalism of old is the same as what they stand for today -- far from it actually. Classic Liberals (see the root, 'liberty') care about freedom. Gays want the freedom to be gay -- that is about the only liberal thing about it. I would think that atheists would like the freedom to not be forced into religious obligations just as those with religious beliefs wish for the freedom to express their devotion and gratitude of the divinity. The progressive labor movements, in essence, have been nothing less than mafiosa 'protection' rackets. With the unionization of government, transportation, communications, energy, manufacturing, agriculture, etc., we have become hangstrung to any real 'progress' at all -- the parasites are killing the host. I am sorry, RBE, but the progressives do NOT want less government, they want more, much, much more, and during the 1st progressive majority in all 3 houses, we have seen what they are trying to do while they still have time -- increase the size and scope of government, increase taxes upon everyone, and a debt so high, the dollar can never, ever recover. That's progress for you!

Archer, I can lead a horse to the trough but I can't make them drink... Your statements are so skewed that it impossible for me to start trying to straighten them out. All I can say is that you are being manipulated either by the Church or by intellectual conservative who have a leaning towards fascism. WE DO NOT HAVE A PROGRESSIVE ADMINISTRATION and the very, very, last thing we call Obama is progressive. Progressives are Liberally minded and when they do hold the reins America will find its feet again. Until then I'm afraid its just the same old thing "Projectionism" without ant true reform the people benefit. A threat to audit the fed led to the addition manipulation where the rich were able to benefit - if the Progressive were in power these people would be a jail. Fortunately in the UK the conservative will have create an alliance with the liberals WOW! what terrible things will happen. In actual fact, it's the best result, though a better result would have been a coalition between Labour and the Libs. Where the Libs have their stronghold is in Scotland and Wales and they are still Celtic in many ways - perhaps the Libs (Celts) could dominate Europe again like they did for 800 years. Lastly, as I said before, which you always dismiss, I believe in a flat tax like most progressives I know with no exemptions. Your comments with regard to the classical Liberal and today's Liberal is without intellectual merit. The root of Liberal is "FREE" liber and here is the definition of Progressive: Promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods: a progressive politician; progressive business leadership Proceeding in steps; continuing steadily by increments: progressive change. 1. Ahead of current trends or customs: advanced, forward, precocious. See precede/follow. 2. Not narrow or conservative in thought, expression, or conduct: broad, broad-minded, liberal, open-minded, tolerant. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, wide/narrow. 3. Favoring civil liberties and social progress: liberal, liberalistic. See politics.

Sorry RBE, but what you are calling 'progressive' is not what the Progressive Caucus calls progressive. Certainly MoveOn.org considers the Obama administration 'progressive' and calls for more of the same. The word 'progressive' is used by the communist Daily Worker for any and every policy it promotes. I suppose the word 'progressive' is supposed to imply 'progress' but the word is used in the Communist Manifesto to describe increasing taxes. But I will agree that what has progressed the most in the US in the last 100 years is Fascism. It is propped up by the very rich and powerful RBE condemns -- but they are mostly Democrats, so time to open your eyes. Unions have hamstrung trade and private enterprise -- and they operate like mobsters and use the same tactics. Again, unions are supported by the 'progressives.' When you consider that the medical establishement has been unionized (AMA), the legal system is unionized (ABA), the government has been unionized, telecom unionized, manufacturing unionized, transportation unionized, agriculture unionized, and education unionized -- all in the last century, too -- we can see that the 'worker' thinks that if they band together, they can take the business away from the creator/owner and seize the factory for themselves -- only to end up being 'ruled' by a union committee who drive the business into the ground unless it gets government bailout money (subsidies, i.e. payoffs) or can establish a monopoly. These unions have nothing to do with liberty and everything to do with monopoly and control. Progressives are no more classic Liberals than the People's Republic of China is a republican form of government. The word has been co-opted by spin doctors who would have you believe that 'progressives' believe in Liberty -- they don't, not at all. They want control and power just like the big bad evil corporations who they ever strive to tear down -- all the while ignoring that which props up so much political power: the iniquitous money system that allows the absolute wealthiest to print up their funny money and lend it to us at interest. What the Progressive ignores is the system by which corporations are given the 'rights' of living breathing humans and thus degrading the status of the once noble sovereign individual to that of a ward of the state, to mould as RBE sees fit (should he ever get his way). Personally I can't believe that RBE really believes his party rhetoric, which is, acquire enough power to take power and wealth away from those that disagree with you and somehow this will help the poor. You could tear down the entire country and divy it up among the masses and most of it will be consumed, then the masses will fight among themselves and gradually wealth and power will again reorganize itself and we will start all over. Progressives believe in altruism, but in this world there are predators and prey -- always has been, always will be. Ignore that, and you will be eaten -- but not all at once, no they will suck your life blood for all your days and let you die once there is nothing more to take.

Feudalism, serfdom, slavery as well as all other types of tyrannical institutions do by their very nature require larger and more vigorous bodies of rules and over-lords to maintain an existence. Less government is not the answer to ending such tyrannies but, a result of the answer. The answer is; expressions of freedom, liberty, peace, love, truth, knowledge, inalienable rights, personal sovereignty, the laws of nature and of nature’s God and justice (a simple starting list). By way of example: the ever-expanding occupying statist theocracy infesting this land. The limitless expansion and vigorous enforcement of compelled compliance, government licenses, victimless crimes, larceny with impunity (2nd plank of the communist manifesto, Social Security, police state confiscations, perfected allodium non-recognition, etc.), and otherwise executions against inalienable rights and personal sovereignty.

Kicking "Croly's elites" out of the house, comes to mind.